Wi-Fi hotspots are so ubiquitous nowadays that we often take for granted. We hope to be able to find a hotspot whenever we're at the airport, a shopping mall or even at home. I know that some people (stupidly, I would say) from locking on their neighboring non-Wi-Fi, all because they are too cheapskate to get a broadband connection. Well, good news is that wireless routers are affordable now that there is really no good reason not to have your own.

The WRT54G2 is a Wireless-G router, so it is not the high end, but they are currently the cheapest way to get movement on the wireless. Linksys recently re-designed their wireless routers and this unit is one of three who receive the new design of the antenna under (the other two routers are Draft-N). Compared with the previous WRT54G, the new version seems much better, but some users miss the old stackable design.

The WRT54G2 uses a new Broadcom chipset (BCM5354), but otherwise it is essentially the same as the previous model. There are four-port Fast Ethernet (10/100 Base-T) on the back and an Ethernet WAN link for the modem to PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet). This is because there is not integrated into an ADSL modem, so users still have to use an external modem to connect. Frankly, I wish Linksys integrated modem, like the ruin of the unit in WRT54G2 sexy looks.

If you're familiar with Linksys products, you will have no problems configuring the WRT54G2 as they have roughly the same menus. In any case, its implementation is as simple as entering your Streamyx account, change the wireless SSID and the allocation of a protocol encryption (highly recommended). The Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) software helps users create their own wireless network and can even check for updates of firmware. The unit of wireless performance is on a par with the WRT54G that has dual antenna, it is quite impressive. Users should have no problem to get a signal through a bond of double-storey house, a bungalow or even if they place the router in the middle of their home.

At $ 50, the WRT54G2 is a hassle to do wireless. Friendly menus, good wireless performance and look make it a worthy successor to the famous WRT54G.